WASHINGTON — Advocacy groups supporting abortion rights say President-elect Donald Trump and Republican leaders in Congress have “awakened a sleeping giant” in their efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
The groups say repealing the health insurance law will require millions of women to pay more for health care, particularly for contraception and cancer screenings.
The groups and about two dozen Democratic lawmakers made the comments to reporters on Capitol Hill on the same day that House Speaker Paul Ryan says the GOP will try to cut off taxpayer money for Planned Parenthood.
“I ask Speaker Ryan: what will you say to the women and their families who will lose access to safe, affordable and basic health care services as a result of your action?” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal.
“Defunding Planned Parenthood is dangerous to people’s health, it’s unpopular, and it would leave people across the country without care. Two and a half million women, men and young people across the country come through our doors every year – including 70,000 in Connecticut and Rhode Island – for lifesaving care like cancer screenings, birth control, and STI and STD tests, and they cannot afford to have basic reproductive health care attacked,” said Judy Tabar, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Southern New England.